3:00 Temptations

One of my big challenges when I'm at work is dealing with the munchies after lunch and through the afternoon. I bring fruit to work but knowing that someone has chocolate at their desk or hearing someone munch on something that sounds tasty is distracting. Of course, with those temptations, I lose the desire to eat my orange or pear. Thankfully since I've been cutting sugar out of my diet I seem to be having the cravings for sugar/chocolate less but they are still there (especially when PMS comes into play).

Today's challenge is that our department won $10 from the lottery and they decided to use the money for a "snack day". Meringue pie, tortilla chips, chocolate, more chocolate, cookies, more cookies, cheese, lots of cheese, etc. The only healthy item is strawberries. I've had some of the things on the table but I've stayed away from the cookies. I did eat a piece of the chocolate but I stopped there.

For myself, I prefer to have a little protein with my snacks - it helps to fill me up, and makes the snack more satisfying. So, if I have fruit I might have a string cheese (always have those on hand since my son loves them!) or a few nuts (people here have recently turned me on to raw almonds, which I really enjoy now). A little peanut butter on some celery or with an apple. Yogurt with Kashi (high protein cereal) is another one I've seen mentioned here that I would like to try.

Will it work for you to have a *little* of what you crave? I try not to let myself eat dark chocolate more than 3 times a week, but if I was really, really craving some chocolate I wouldn't have a problem with allowing myself a little bit (no more than .5 oz) after my fruit or whatever if that's what it took to keep me on track. As long as it's a good quality dark chocolate, you're at least eating something with some benefit - provided you keep the portion very reasonable, you're not tacking on a lot of calories.

It might help, too, to try and start eating your snack a bit before 3 - before you're actually feeling hungry. By the time hunger sets in, I usually feel a little bit of desperation and am more likely to want things I wouldn't typically choose to eat.

I'm also a big snacker, and it's taken me awhile to fine-tune my "plan of attack." I have a very similar problem- that darn afternoon hump/slouch type thing around 3 p.m.

My work day is 8:30-5:30. Around 7:15 I have b-fast, something high protein like egg beaters with some broccoli thrown in- and coffee (i can't get rid of that, try as i may!)

Around 11 I'm not really hungry, but starting to get there, and I'll have a small snack; lowfat yogurt, a few carrots with Laughing Cow cheese, maybe a piece of multigrain bread with some hummus or a tiny bit of peanut butter, with some fruit. (edit: i just re-read this, I don't eat all of this, just one thing and some fruit)

Then around 2 I'll have "lunch," which is more like a large snack; a veggie burger on a piece of multigrain bread topped with ff cheese, or maybe a salad with some turkey strips.

In between that I"ll have a warm drink- tea, once in awhile sugar free hot cocoa.... and fruit or veggies

Then I have another snack at 4 or 4:30 (if I don't I eat everything as soon as I get home!) and around 7 I have dinner.

Eating "mini-meals" has helped me from grazing on snacks all day long- knowing that I'm within a few hours of eating again and knowing what it is I'm going to eat has helped me tremendously.

I hate when people bring snacks to work and leave them out for everyone! The only thing I can do in that case is avoid the area entirely, or I"ll go nuts snacking.

I'm with the protein bunch! It REALLY helps! I LOVE Eggbeaters with veggies for breakfast, and I also have some fresh fruit mixed with yogurt as well. Every snack or meal that I have has some protein in it. I try to have something every three hours.